We set up the MSF Access Campaign in 1999 to push for access to, and the development of, life-saving and life-prolonging medicines, diagnostic tests and vaccines for people in our programmes and beyond.

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A collaborative, patients’ needs-driven, non-profit drug research and development organisation that is developing new treatments for neglected diseases, founded in 2003 by seven organisations from around the world.

Since last November, there has been an escalation in intercommunal violence in Tanganyika province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Thousands of people have been displaced in this region, and the number of casualties continues to grow.

Gaudia Sironi, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Field Coordinator, describes the situation in Manono, where MSF supports the overcrowded general hospital.

What's the current situation in Tanganyika province?

In the past few months, we've seen an increase in intercommunal violence throughout the region. In Manono health area, fighting erupted again in November, but the situation really deteriorated in December, and a large number of people were admitted to the general referral hospital for surgery. Conflict first broke out in rural areas tens of kilometres from Manono, but gradually spread until it reached the town itself. People have fled the villages affected by the fighting, and many have ended up in the centre of Manono. The security conditions do not allow us to leave the city so it is difficult for us to assess the situation and treat all the wounded.

What are the living conditions like for those who have taken refuge in Manono?

Thousands of people are now living with host families, in public buildings, schools and churches around the town. By the end of December, we had counted 40 buildings occupied by displaced people. Living conditions are very precarious for both the local and the displaced populations. The overcrowding significantly increases the risk of contagious diseases such as diarrhoeal diseases. There's a shortage of latrines and we're in the middle of the rainy season.

The current conflict is also stopping people from moving around freely and going to the fields to grow or harvest their crops. There's less food at the market and prices have shot up. So food insecurity and the risk of contagious diseases are our biggest concerns. We're also worried about the people outside the town. If they can't get to the hospital, many could die, especially children.

Jean-Baptiste Mukenge, nurse in the emergency room, preparing an IV drip for a child suffering from severe malaria. MSF has been working in Manono since the end of 2015, when a measles epidemic broke out in the health area.
Natacha Buhler/MSFShare

How is MSF responding to this crisis?

Since the end of November, MSF has stepped up its support for Manono hospital, where 200 people have already been treated for wounds. The vast majority of patients arrive with cuts and stab wounds from machetes, arrows or axes. At the end of November, we provided training in managing influxes of casualties at Manono general referral hospital and Ankoro hospital. The aim was to improve the skills of the team of doctors and nurses from the Ministry of Health and to set up a care pathway, with identified areas for receiving and treating patients according to the seriousness of their condition.

In December, the hospital's surgical department was overwhelmed – there were insufficient beds, equipment and staff to treat everyone. There were people everywhere, lying on the floor waiting to be treated. The staff worked ceaselessly to tackle the situation. MSF supported the team at Manono hospital by providing doctors, including a surgeon, nurses, nursing assistants and health promoters, as well as hygienists and security guards.

We also erected tents as they ran out of space in the surgical department. We supplied equipment and drugs to treat the injured, including dressing kits, suture materials, antibiotics, painkillers, etc. We also started upgrading the operating theatre so that it has a constant water supply and an efficient sterilisation system. At the height of the crisis in December, 44 MSF staff were supporting the hospital. MSF is also assisting four health centres in the town with paediatric and nutritional care for the under-fives, with a particular focus on treating malaria. And we're starting to build latrines on sites where displaced people gather to ensure minimum hygiene and sanitation standards.

MSF has been working in Manono since the end of 2015, when a measles epidemic broke out in the health area. Since then, MSF has supported the paediatric department of the general referral hospital in Manono health area. Around 200 children are currently being treated as inpatients there, the majority for complications of malaria such as severe anaemia. About a third of them are suffering from severe malnutrition and medical complications. MSF also supports Muyumba Port health centre.

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